When All Stands Still
by Tsubaki Star
Summary: In a rare moment alone, Marco and Izou reminiscence about the past while trying to come to terms with the reality. From the first meeting to the last goodbye, life marches on, heedless of those left behind. How does one cope when all that's left are hazy memories of a better time? [Semi-A/U] [Marco x Ace] [Thatch x Izou]


**A/N:** This is a double pairing of Thatch x Izou and Marco x Ace. Also kind of A/U, especially with the character back stories. And there's a bit of jumping around on the timeline so please bear with me?

* * *

It was a suffocatingly sunny day as far as Marco was concerned. It was hot enough to shut even Thatch up, for a time at least. The two had been sent to gather information on the summer island by their captain on what was quickly becoming a test of both youth's patience. It didn't help that the town was built more like a maze than a functional mass of buildings.

"You still don't know what we're supposed to be looking for?" Thatch couldn't help but ask again.

"I wasn't given any more information than you were." Marco snapped back irritably. All they had been told was to make themselves seen and whoever they were supposed to be meeting will find them. They've been wondering aimlessly through the roads and alleyways for the better part of a week and haven't so much as seen another living human being.

"You're sure there _are_ people living here right…?" Thatch tried hard to keep from whining. The heat was grating on both their nerves and he didn't relish the idea of pissing off his companion.

"For the last time, yes, I am. If you could just focus long enough to check your surroundings, you'd be able to tell there are people _in_ the buildings." The blond felt the urge to smack his friend rise up again and sighed. Thankfully, the other man didn't try to drag out the conversation further. The one thing they had managed to agree on was to not force their way into the homes of the inhabitants. Even if it meant they had to camp in the outskirts of town and traverse inwards each day.

"Hey, Marco?"

The blond growled in reply.

"I think I saw something move…" Thatch pointed to the small alley jutting off from the road they were currently on.

Marco glanced at the alleyway skeptically. He hadn't felt any movement let alone seen, but he knew it wouldn't hurt. It's not like they were getting anywhere going in the direction they had been until then. "Fine, let's go."

Not ten minutes later, the duo found themselves face to face with a dead end. The alley ended in a high wall that reached the tops of the buildings on both sides. Footsteps behind them confirmed that they had finally found whoever it was they had been sent to meet.

"Don't turn around. Who are you?" A gruff voice spoke from behind them.

The two exchanged a quick glance before Marco answered. "I highly doubt you actually care who we are. You'd much rather know why we're here."

A knife flew past Marco's head and embedded itself on the wall before them causing Thatch to cringe visibly. "Who are you and why have you come here?"

"I'm Marco, that's Thatch, and we were told to meet someone here. From the looks of things, I'm assuming it's you."

"You have got to be kidding me…"

The blond chanced a look behind him to Thatch's dismay. The man looked no older than the pair with long dirty blond hair tied in a high ponytail. His clothes were of good quality, but scuffed. He was armed with a sword in one hand and throwing knives in the other.

"I said-" The man hesitated a second before slowly lowering his weapons.

Marco took that as a sign and turned completely with Thatch following suite after a pause. In the ensuing silence, both parties scrutinized the other.

"Forget it. Fine. I guess you're the help we were promised… You can call me Rakuyo."

"Rakuyo, a pleasure." Marco answered nonchalantly.

"Follow me, this isn't exactly the ideal place for us to chat."

The pair shrugged and followed quietly behind the other man. Marco was increasingly impressed by the sheer amount of hidden entrances and trap doors they were led through below ground and through buildings. The hidden maze of shadowy pathways at least answered the question of how they had managed to not see a single other occupant until now.

After what was at least an hour of walking in every conceivable direction, the trio emerged in a windowless room furnished by a single table and several chairs. Rakuyo sat the pair down before launching into an interrogation followed by briefly explaining the state of the island and the sole town that occupies it.

Throughout its long history, the town had never once been a place of safety for the inhabitants. The most powerful families were constantly at each other's throats. Murder, bribery, blackmail, and struggle for wealth and power are a way of life here. However, in the last five years, one family in particular, his, has been growing steadily stronger and the precarious balance that kept full out war from breaking out was at its limits.

"But it's only a matter of time before the other factions realize that fighting against us is futile and we can put this bloody past behind us. My boss wants a treaty put in place with the other families swearing loyalty under him." Rakuyo summed up.

Thatch mumbled, "Assuming you guys last that long."

"Yes… precisely. That's where you come in." Rakuyo studied the two again, making no effort to hide his skepticism.

"I think our strength is the last thing you need to worry about." Marco spoke as he narrowed his eyes, daring the other man to speak differently. For a while, Rakuyo and Marco sat silently glaring at each other while Thatch looked on impassively.

"Come on, I'll take you guys to meet the boss." Rakuyo finally conceded.

They were led though another winding mass of dimly lit corridors and hidden entrances until they appeared at what looks like the roof of huge building. Rakuyo motioned for them to follow as he pushed open one of the few doors that weren't hidden from view. The hall was dimly lit like all the other passages they had passed through, but the décor showed it was a lived space.

In what the pair assumed to be the meeting room, a man sat in an elevated chair at one end of the long table with another standing at attention behind him. Although unseen, Marco could feel the watchful stares of dozens of men hidden all around. Rakuyo motioned for them to take a seat facing the two men as he went to stand at the side of the table.

"Welcome." The seated man spoke in a deep monotone.

His hair was a flowing mane of black streaked by silvery grey. He was immaculately dressed and radiated regal grace. But his eyes were what caught the pirates' attention, they were the same piercing black, so dark in fact that light does not even reflect in their depth.

"I apologize for delaying the meeting for so long, but we had to be sure of who you were being contacting you. My name is Raizou." He paused for a moment before gesturing behind him. "And he is my son, Kakuri."

The pirates introduced themselves in turn. As the conversation wore on, a mix of business and conversation, the pirates finally learned the reason for their being sent on this mission. The man had met Whitebeard once years ago and the two had struck an instant friendship. And of the crew, Marco and Thatch were simply the best candidates for the job at hand.

The following week consisted mostly of Marco following Raizou as guard and Thatch following Kakuri. Their presence alone was enough to unnerve the other families at the meetings. The assassinations were easy to stop given that both men could practically smell the killing intent emanating from their enemies before they're ever close enough to attempt anything.

The one time an attempt had almost been successful was during the gathering to work out the minute details of the treaty calling for a ceasefire between the families. In a room surrounded by hostility and killing intent, it was more difficult for either man to tell who would actually act on it. When the first shot was fired, Marco had acted on instinct, shielding Raizou from the gunfire and throwing out a wall of blue flames in the process. In their panic and fear, no one had even noticed that the flames did not radiate heat, but seeing the young blond unhurt after taking a dozen shots had the assassins running for their lives regardless.

Marco's display of power served as all the deterrent needed to keep the other families in line. With no other power users on the island, there wasn't anyone left who was willing to take up the botched assassination job, no matter the price. Reluctantly, one by one, the opposing parties signed the treaty, pledging their loyalty to Raizou.

The two pirates lounged languishingly in the guest chamber as they waited for Raizou. The job was over and all that remained was to receive their promised payment and they could finally be on their way. Their host entered the room trailed by a legion of men. There is no doubt that there are still those who targeted the man, but his safety is up to the competency of his own men now.

"You have done us a great favour, thank you." Raizou took the seat facing them.

Marco shrugged. "It was our job. The one you should thank is Whitebeard."

"That's true. There wasn't much I could have offered a man like him, but he still chose to lend me help." The man smiled, the first genuine smile offered them as far as Marco could tell. The man placed a small leather pouch on the table between them. "The payment. You are welcome to stay another day and rest if you wish."

"That's very generous of you, but we should be on our way." Marco answered.

The two parties bid each other goodbye and the pirates returned to their rooms to gather their things. They were both anxious to be back on the open waters. They were readying to return to the Moby Dick when Rakuyo came to see them with another youth neither had met before.

"I have a personal request to make of you." Rakuyo said after a tense stretch of silence.

Marco quirked an eyebrow in question, "What?"

"Please allow Izou and myself to join you." He said gesturing to himself and the youth beside him.

Marco narrowed his eyes impassively, unsure of what to make of the situation. Beside him, Thatch looked on in blatant shock. Rakuyo looked unsure, but the other man, Izou, held Marco's gaze determinately.

"Why should we?"

Rakuyo answered reluctantly, "With the treaty in place now, all that's left is to eliminate all the seeds of conflict. Even if they haven't been sown yet."

"My older brother will inherit our father's position, but so long as I remain, there will be those who will want to use me to gain power." Izou added, his voice steady despite his nervousness.

"Let me clarify that. Why _should_ we help you?" Marco asked again.

"I know about your captain. He would never turn away those in need. And we are not asking for your charity, we want to join you as equals." Izou looked away as he paused, searching for the right words to convince the pirates. "There is no place left for me here."

Marco and Thatch looked at each other and shrugged.

"You know this isn't my decision to make right?" The blond sighed.

"Wait, back up. Your father knows you two are planning on coming with us right? I don't think Pops would appreciate that bit of misunderstanding…" Thatch broke as the thought crossed his mind.

"Yes. The boss doesn't exactly approve, but he knows it's the best option for everyone." Rakuyo replied.

Marco shrugged again and motioned for them to follow. "Fine, it wouldn't hurt to take you to Pops at least."

As the group made their way through town, the inhabitants milled around and watched them. Likely hoping for a glimpse of Marco's power before he left. Hushed whispered followed them all the way to the edge of the forest where the waters came into view. The Moby Dick was anchored a ways into the ocean.

"Right. So. How are we going to do this…?" Thatch mused more to himself than anyone else as he glanced from their group to the ship and back.

"Draw lots and see who's the unlucky bastard that has to go break the news to Pops?" Marco eyed his friend as if sizing him up to see how well he'd be able to handle the task.

"I really am sorry for imposing on you like this." Rakuyo spoke up. Behind him, Izou nodded his agreement curtly. The two had been anxious the whole time and standing in front of the pirate ship they intended to board, the tension that hung around them was palpable.

"It's fine. You managed to convince Marco this was a good idea, there's no way you wouldn't be able to convince our captain." Thatch offered their new companions his best reassuring smile. Focusing his attention back to Marco, "Wouldn't it make more sense for us to all go together? I mean, I kind of doubt Pops'll mind."

"Or we could wait till he gets here himself." Marco replied with his eyes fixed pointedly on the ship.

"Wha-" The brunette turned to follow his friend's line of sight just in time to see their captain jump down from the deck. "Oh. Right. Or that."

With Whitebeard standing not five meters away, both Rakuyo and Izou found themselves standing at rigid attention. Before either managed to work up the nerve to say anything to the imposing man, Marco offered an explanation of their circumstances. The captain listened patiently without interrupting as Marco relayed his report regarding the island before allowing the other three to add their personal points.

Whitebeard studied Rakuyo and Izou in turn before speaking, "Let me just ask you one thing. Do you truly wish to serve on my ship or join simply because it's convenient for you?"

Izou spoke up despite having stayed silent during most of the explanation. "If I were to be completely honest, it is because it's convenient. However, had it been anyone else, our request would have been nothing more than a plea to be brought to another land. I have heard too much about you from my Father to allow this chance to slip through my fingers."

"I agree. It would be an honor to serve under a man like yourself. And alongside others like Marco and Thatch." Rakuyo added.

"I see." Whitebeard said after a lengthy pause. "Well, it looks like you kids all have your minds made up already."

Four heads nodded in unison.

Whitebeard's countenance changed to one of amusement. "Welcome aboard the Moby Dick, my sons."

Rakuyo had an easier time adjusting to life aboard the pirate ship than Izou, but the two made every effort to fit in and pull their weight. For the most part, Whitebeard was more amused with his new and unexpected crewmates than anything else. To the ire and amusement of the rest of the crew, Izou and Thatch grew closer as the days went by. Something Marco never tired of teasing the two about whenever the chance arose. Izou, in turn, badgered him ceaselessly about finding someone special himself. Everyone simply ignoring that it was much easier said than done.

"I don't understand how you can be so cynical about love when you're not even twenty." Izou glared hard at Marco. He had half a mind to forcibly drag the blond with him to the nearest bar in town and personally set him up with anyone who's interested.

"I'm not cynical, I'm being realistic." Marco sighed. "Go enjoy yourself with Thatch. You don't need me ruining your fun anyways."

"That's not the point."

"You're never going to just accept that Marco's a lost cause are you." Thatch laughed as he set down his own plate of food and taking his seat beside Izou.

"If he's like this now, I don't want to know what he'll be like in another ten years."

Despite his threats, Izou eventually conceded that it was best to leave Marco on the ship and enjoy some time alone with Thatch. They've been on the seas for a long time and it had been even longer since they had been given free time to actually enjoy their stay on dry land. The island was made up of entirely flatland and boasted a comfortably cool climate.

The pair spent the day wondering aimlessly through the town, losing themselves in the normalcy of everyday life on peaceful land. With nothing better to do by noon, the duo decided indulge in their sense of adventure and explore the outskirts of the town. They circled around the edge of the island until they came to the deserted beaches on the other side.

Spotting an empty cave, Izou turned to Thatch with an impish grin, "What's the first thing that comes to mind when I say: deserted, secluded, cave away from prying eyes?"

Thatch returned his grin and grabbed his lover's hand, leading him towards said cave in reply.

It was nighttime as they made their way back to the ship at the end of the short vacation time. The whole place bustled with activity as the villagers gathered at the night market in very center of the village. Izou turned to Thatch with a wicked smirk.

"How much do you want to bet Marco spent the day mingling shamelessly with the locals?"

Thatch chuckled heartily. "I make it a rule not to make losing bets."

"Fine. Still, you'd think he'd manage to find someone to love considering how many he goes through at each and every island we stop on."

"Ya, just try not saying that to his face. Contrary to popular belief, I do value my life." Thatch grimaced. He couldn't help looking around as though fearing the blond in question would pop up. "Besides, he said he prefers the freedom."

"Think he'd change his mind if I keep pestering him about how perfect and wonderful life can be when you're in love?" Izou asked, his tone was teasing, but spoken as though he was seriously considering acting on it.

"Don't even think about it. The last thing I need is Marco being privy to my love life on top of everything else."

"What? How else am I going to amuse myself on those long days out at sea?"

"Geez. Nice to see you think so highly of our relationship." The brunette rolled his eyes, feigning exasperation. "Some times, I really do wonder why I put up with you."

Izou huffed dramatically, "Because you love me."

"That, I do. Always." Thatch shot the man beside him a contented smile, his eyes a brilliant echo of the words he spoke.

Izou dropped all semblance of teasing as he reached out to hold the brunette's hand. Those were words he believed above all else. And he had believed them from the very first time Thatch had uttered those three simple words.

* * *

"It shouldn't have turned out this way."

"It did. We can't change the past."

"It should have been me."

"Don't say that."

"It's true. We'd all be a lot happier if it had been me."

"Then you'd be dead."

"And my pain would have died with me. He would still be alive and we wouldn't be having this miserable conversation. You really don't wish it had been me instead?"

"No! I never- I would never…"

"Then you're too kind for your own good."

* * *

"Pops, let me go." Ace stood defiantly in front of the giant man he called captain. "I will bring back his head."

"No. I have a bad feeling about Teach." Whitebeard replied after a moment. At his right, Marco stood rigid.

"He's from my division and he committed an unforgivable crime. He made a fool of all of us. He used and betrayed your trust. He. Murdered. Thatch." Ace was practically shaking with barely restrained rage. The young division commander all but spat the last words through tightly clenched teeth.

"Ace, enough." Marco spoke tensely. He had no doubt that his captain wouldn't hesitate the throw the younger man overboard if he let even a flicker of flame ignite, but it was a scenario he'd prefer to avoid.

"How the hell can you be so calm?! Thatch- Thatch is-"

"Ace. That's enough." Marco's tone was nothing short of threatening this time. The blond didn't enjoy pulling rank over his fellow division commanders, but his patience was wearing thin at that particular moment. "This isn't something you can simply decide on your own. We need to discuss this with the other commanders."

For a moment, Marco was sure Ace was going to argue the point further, but managed to reign in his temper at the last moment. He stalked off without another word after glaring hard at the blond and willfully ignoring his captain.

"I'll see if I can change his mind." Marco sighed in resignation.

"Leave him be for now. The brat isn't stupid enough to just run off on his own." The Captain offered a sad smile.

Marco bowed his acknowledgement and made his way to the commanders' corridor. He would deal with Ace later. The news of Thatch's murder had spread like wildfire, but the traitor had already disappeared with the devil fruit his friend found. It was obvious the traitor had taken advantage of the storm to make his move. The fact that he hadn't seen Izou since the night before worried the first mate a lot more.

He rapped softly on the man's door, but there was no answer from within. Taking a chance, Marco tried the doorknob anyways. A pair of darkened eyes turned to him slowly from within the lightless room.

"Izou…"

"He's really gone isn't he."

It wasn't a question, but Marco nodded in answer anyways.

"Who was it?" Izou spoke calmly, but his eyes spoke differently.

"Marshall D. Teach. He's the only one unaccounted for and there's a rowboat missing. The devil fruit Thatch found is missing as well." Marco cringed inwardly and braced himself for the inevitable. "Ace went to Pops claiming responsibility for it. He wants to go after Teach."

"No."

"I know. Pops doesn't want him to go either, but the brat can be as stubborn as a mule sometimes." He sighed tiredly. "We're gathering the commanders for a meeting tonight to discuss this in detail."

"I see…"

"What are you going to do?"

Izou laughed humorlessly, nearly hysterically. "What am I going to do or what do I _want_ to do. As if it's that simple. I don't know. I don't…"

* * *

"…You resent him for going in your stead."

"Yes."

"Is that why you want me to hate you? Because you agreed to let him go after Blackbeard?"

"I don't know. It would put us on even ground at least."

"It still wouldn't have changed anything. We'd still be miserable."

"What if things had been different?"

"There's no end to the what ifs."

"…If I'd known… I would never have wished this on anyone… least of all, you."

"…"

"I still have nightmares about that night you know."

"I know."

* * *

"Hey. Hey… Marco? Marrr-co!" Thatch banged dramatically on the door. "I can't find Izou anywhere and I want to talk to you guys!"

Marco fought down the urge to bang his head against the oak table he was working at. More in fear of toppling the massive piles of paper stacked around him than for his own welfare. He should be grateful his friend had returned from his mission earlier than expected, and he would have been, if it hadn't been for the unfortunate amount of work piled around him. He sighed and moved to unlock the door before Thatch made an even bigger commotion.

"I just got back from my mission." The brunette said was a huge grin plastered on his face.

"I can tell." Marco rolled his eyes in good humor as the two made their way to Thatch's room. It had only been a week, but the unoccupied room was already covered in a thin coat of dust.

"Oh come on, don't be like that. Shouldn't you be happy to see me or something?" Thatch said with a pout knowing full well how much that expression creeped his friend out. He wasn't disappointed.

"I am. And you're back early. We aren't expecting Izou for another two days."

"Oh. Damn…" He tugged at his hair irritably before comprehension dawned on his face. "Wait… you timed our missions so we'd be back at the same time?"

"I try. You see what I do for you now?"

"Ha! I knew you love us. Even if you're an ass about it most of the time." Thatch smirked as he dodged around his friend. As much fun as it was messing with Marco, he didn't drag the man away from his duties for nothing. "Anyways, there's something kind of important I wanted do discuss."

Marco quirked an eyebrow, but waited for the brunette to continue without comment.

"I found a devil fruit on that island. Well… more like under. That's not important." Thatch sighed. He wasn't used to being nervous or indecisive about anything, but he's also never had such a life altering decision on his hands either.

"What do you want to do with it?"

"That's the thing. I don't know. I mean, sure, it'll be cool as hell to have some kickass power like you guys. But who's gonna save Ace when he gets himself thrown overboard again?" Thatch chuckled at the thought. "Seriously though, I really don't know. I showed the thing to Pops, but he's never seen it before."

For a moment, Marco appeared deep in thought and didn't say anything. "Well, you're probably better off deciding if you want to eat it or sell it off before Izou gets back. You know this isn't something we can decide for you."

"What about you?" Thatch asked suddenly.

"What?"

"How'd you decide… you know? To eat the devil fruit?"

"I wanted freedom. And I knew that power would give me that chance at freedom. It wasn't exactly a hard decision for me when the opportunity fell into my hands." Marco smiled sadly at the memory. "It was pure dumb luck that I got this particular power though."

"You lucky bastard…" Thatch sighed with all the drama he could muster. "Fine. I see your point. I'll leave you to your work and stew over this by my lonesome."

"You might want to get some rest too while you have the chance, we're setting sail as soon as the provisions are loaded."

With that, the blond left with a wave. Thatch chuckled as the door closed behind him. So it had been obvious that he hadn't had a chance to get much sleep during and after the mission. He'd been preoccupied by other things. With another glance at the box that held the fruit, he slumped down on his bed and ignored the cloud of dust he sent flying.

"What am I going to do with you…"

With their business on the island finished, the Moby Dick and her crew set sail the moment dusk fell across the land. It was much easier to move unnoticed in the dead of night than under the sun, especially with a crew the size of theirs. Thatch, being one of the select few who managed any rest the night before, was his usual cheerful self as he served up breakfast to his groggy crewmates. He plopped down on the empty seat next to Marco with enough force to earn a few dirty looks from the others at the table.

"No, he's not back yet." Marco said around a spoonful of food.

"Hey! I wasn't going to ask about that." Thatch mumbled indignantly.

"Actions speak louder than words my friend."

"Fine, be that way." The brunette sighed resignedly. There was no arguing with his friend, especially when they both knew he was right. "You got any interesting news to share?"

"Nothing in particular unless you want to hear about the sheer amount of idiots running around the Grand Line thinking they're great just for making it here. Well, they'll learn soon enough." Marco answered casually. "And you can't care less about the work I have to sort through so quit stalling and out with it."

"I'm going to eat the thing." He paused to sneak a peek at the blond. "But I'm going to wait till Izou and Ace are back. That way, we can all go celebrate my new amazing power."

"Good."

"Good? That's it? Geez, those two better react more dramatically or this is going to be the most anti-climatic moment in my entire life."

As it turned out, Izou and Namur's group returned to the main ship at almost the same time with Ace not two hours behind them. For the first time in nearly half a year, all sixteen commanders were gathered together. As the crew celebrated their commanders' return, the men made the obligatory rounds.

Marco extradited himself from the partying men as soon as he noticed Thatch and Izou were no longer a part of the massive group. He found them drinking in a secluded spot at the stern of the ship. The triumphant smirk the brunette shot him spoke volumes.

"No one's set to leave on a mission or something tomorrow right?" Thatch asked as soon as Marco was close enough to not require shouting.

"No… why?" Marco answered slowly as though it was a trick question.

"Then I can join the ranks of you power freaks in full audience."

"Ignore him, he's just stalling." Izou glared hard at Thatch. A quick retort from the brunette had the two lovers in heated debate over nothing.

Marco snorted at the two's bickering.

"What are you guys hiding from me?" Ace pulled himself up from the rails behind the seated men, the beginnings of a pout on his lips.

All three turned to Ace in surprised silence before Thatch took up the role of explaining everything once again. Ace, for his part, reacted with every ounce of enthusiasm he could muster. Somewhere from the bow of the ship, loud cheers arose, and music began playing. The group laughed at the timing before agreeing to rejoin their fellow shipmates.

Unfortunately, the men barely had time to react before the small drizzle of rain turned into a storm complete with rolling waves big enough to dwarf their ships. The crew was caught in the vicious storm that literally formed above their heads and within moments, they were left at the ocean's mercy. With the celebrations cut short, any men not needed to man the sails were ushered below deck. As usual, Marco was forced to literally drag Ace with him after seeing to the safety of their shipmates.

Izou mumbled irritably to himself as he was forced to feel his way through the completely dark hall to the commanders' corridor. He was at least somewhat grateful that he had been freed from the duty of overseeing the wellbeing of the men above deck. The violent swaying of the ship making matters even more difficult. The last two hours had been especially bad, with the electricity being knocked out below deck and the rolling waves making torchlight too risky.

"The hell…" A particularly sharp lurch threw the commander off balance and he fell against some soft obstruction in the middle of the hallway.

Completely blinded in the darkness, Izou had no choice but to feel his way across the ground to what lay on it. A piece of cloth, a limb, a person. The commander was about to curse at his crewmate for passing out in the middle of an unlit hall when sick realization settled over him like a blanket. In the damp silence, there was only the sound of his own breath and the unmistakable stench of blood. Fear lodged in his throat as he placed a hand on the man's chest and only felt the damp coldness of drying blood.

"No." He couldn't have, but he knew. He cradled the limp body closer to his own. "Thatch…"

Cold.

"Oh god…"

The next thing he registered was the flickering of blue fire and the blond man they danced off of. He watched as Marco turned to speak to him, but heard no sound. Izou's mind didn't focus again until he felt the other man move to pull Thatch's body away from him.

"No!" Izou held on tighter to his lover's body.

"Calm down!"

"No, no, no… God- no…"

Stone cold.

"Thatch…"

Unmoving.

"Thatch!" A strangled, far off voice screamed. Izou finally recognized the voice as his own, but his senses were still disjointed.

Reality and time slowed down to a crawl and he barely noticed Marco shaking him. He didn't struggle this time as the other commander pulled Thatch's body from him and ran down the hall as fast as he could given the conditions. Izou's next conscious thought was that he was sitting in his room with his clothes soaked in his lover's blood.

* * *

"Every single damn time, it's always me talking!"

"There's nothing for me to-"

"It's like you wont even acknowledge _he_'s gone! I know you. Don't you think the time for petty lies have passed?"

"I know he's gone! I-"

"But you wont _acknowledge_ it."

* * *

Despite Whitebeard's warnings and the general uneasiness that surrounded Marshall D. Teach's betrayal, no one really doubted Ace's abilities to make good on his claim. Even the uncharacteristic warning from Red Hair wasn't enough to shake the beliefs the men had in their youngest commander. Of all things, it was the unnerving report that the pirates had intercepted from the government that really set off alarm bells. Marshall D. Teach, no, Blackbeard, had been crowned the newest member of the Shichibukai.

It didn't take long for Marco's worst fears to be confirmed. The traitor had paid for his new position with his former commander's life. Marco gritted his teeth as he forced himself to walk, not run, down the corridor to his captain's room. Ace is still alive, the latest report had stated his position as on route to Impel Down.

Marco knocked on the wooden door, "Captain."

"Come in." Came Whitebeard's muffled reply from within.

"I have the new report on Ace's situation." The words came out much calmer than the first commander felt. "The navy is moving him to Impel Down, but the report is two days old. He's more than likely already imprisoned there now. Given the circumstances, I highly doubt Sengoku is ignorant to Ace's past. The marines wouldn't leave him there long, it's only a matter of time before they put him up for public execution."

"No, I wouldn't think so either." The large man sighed, looking more haggard than Marco could ever remember. The two nurses attending to him looked worriedly at each other.

"Pops…" Marco started.

"No. You will not break into Impel Down to save Ace." Whitebeard stared hard at his first commander. Defiance was not a trait Marco showed often, but he could plainly see how tempted the younger man was at that moment. "Rest assured, I have no intension of abandoning him, but breaking into Impel Down will be too risky. We will wait for our chance, they will no doubt make a public show out of executing Ace."

"Knowing Sengoku, it'll either be Marineford or Loguetown." The blond relented.

"That's more than likely. Gather a few men together, we will strike when they make their move to transport Ace to the execution platform."

"Understood." Marco turned away and left the room briskly.

After hours of heated planning with the rest of the commanders, it was decided that Marco, Vista, Namur, Curiel, and Jiru will be the only commanders to head the attack. They would be taking the men of the first and second division with them along with two fishmen from Namur's division and lay in wait on a coated ship. The flagship and the rest of the boats will stay on their current course to draw the marine's attention away from their rescue operation. They will set sail for Impel Down the day of the execution. Sneaking through the gate to Impel Down was one thing, but nothing short of Whitebeard's power will be able to allow them escape after the rescue. It was a risky plan, but one with the highest chance of success. As soon as the rough plan was in place, calls were made to their allies to standby in case their help is needed.

The Moby Dick was a mad flurry of activity before the day was over. Thankfully they were already close to the Sabaody Archipelago and with the commanders out of sight, it was a simple task to have a smaller ship coated and hidden. No one would think it strange for Whitebeard's men to visit Fishman Island as they claimed to be doing.

As Marco had predicted, news of Ace's execution was publicized for the world to see. Two weeks from the date, Whitebeard's second division commander is to be beheaded on Marineford. The pirates made the journey to Impel Down hidden deep under the surface of the sea. With Namur and the fishmen able to move freely in the water, they were able to get into position with little opposition.

Tension on the ship mounted daily as the hours ticked by excruciatingly slowly. Not that anyone wanted the day of their brother's execution to come faster, but the waiting was grating on each man's nerves. The three fishmen took turns keeping watch on the sole entrance to the prison and kept track of all the marine vessels that came by.

"Marco, Vice Admiral Garp just entered the prison." Namur reported without ceremony.

"It's fine. There's nothing we can do about that right now." The blond replied after a moment's consideration. When all was said and done, the man was still Ace's family and Marco could guess the pain the man would be in.

"You don't think he would…?"

"No. If that man's conviction could be shaken by something like this, he would never have made it this far." Marco replied after a long pause, "But I doubt he would actively join the battle on the marine's side either."

The days passed until the date of the published execution time. The five commanders discussed the many possibilities that could occur during battle and the best countermeasures. The most powerful marines and the Shichibukai will be gathered at Marineford to oversee the execution, but that didn't leave them much time to rescue Ace. Not if they wanted incite a full scale war between themselves and the marine.

"Hurry! The battleships have come for Ace!" The two fishmen from Namur's division screamed as soon as they entered the coating. "Commander's gone ahead to keep and eye on the marines."

"All men to arms!" Marco's command snapped the pirates on board to action. They raised the ship up as fast as they physically could as the fishmen returned to the sea once more.

Marco was a strong believer of the simple fact that even the most meticulously put together plans could fail in the most unpredictable ways. It's why he had always been more for putting together a loose outline for his men to follow and commanding as needed. His ability to improvise at a moment's notice is what made him such an effective leader. But as he observed the chaos of battle around him, he knew none of his usual calm observance would be of any use.

Moving quickly, the blond quickly passed over command of his division to Vista and gave the other commanders freedom to fight as they saw fit. There was only one thing on his mind at that moment and he didn't need any distractions. He could see Ace being held by Magellan and flanked by several notable marines.

It wasn't anything Marco couldn't deal with alone. His men were busy keeping the marines pressed back and working to sink the transport ships. They can't take Ace to the execution platform without ships to sail on.

Ace looked more terrified and shocked than happy to see the blue fire of Marco's phoenix as he tackled and half dragged the warden away from Ace. The commander was powerless to help Ace as his phoenix form wasn't the best suited for combat. The poison of Magellan's devil fruit power made it impossible for him to fight as he normally would.

The shackled commander couldn't pry his eyes off of Marco as he fought against the warden. He had prayed for it, even wished that they'd abandon him, but of course they'd be here. Ace cringed visibly. It was his fault. He had been arrogant and let his guard down, had been powerless against Blackbeard's power, and had been stupid enough to get himself caught in the first place.

"Marco… everyone…" Ace whispered the words softly. Despite everything, his nakama had really come for him.

They had barely a moment to react as the prison doors burst open once more as Jinbei and Luffy burst out and skid to a stop at the scene that greeted them. Out of the corner of his eye, Marco saw Curiel free Ace from the seastone handcuffs as he took to the skies to better scout their position. As much as he wanted to take Ace with him, he had a duty to keep the rest of his men safe as well.

Namur and Jiru had managed to destroy the marine's vessels and defend their own in the process. Vista was still commanding the men to the best of his abilities from the midst of battle. Marco circled once more before descending to fill the other commanders in about their current situation.

The morale amongst the pirates spiked as word of Ace's freedom spread. Knowing that Jinbei had joined in the battle as an ally and Luffy's appearance helped matters as well. Even as more enemies appeared in the form of goalers from Impel Down.

The scale of battle grew exponentially as a volley of lasers rained down from above, striking down several of the pirates.

"Above!" Jiru yelled from somewhere behind Marco and Vista's current location in a throng of marines.

In a heartbeat, Marco threw himself into the fight with Kizaru. They hadn't expected any of the admirals to make an appearance. The blond growled viciously, the longer the fight dragged on, the higher the chance of further backup appearing. The admiral's arrival meant that Marineford knew of the rescue and it was only a matter of time before the most powerful of the marine's forces arrive.

"ACE!"

Marco turned in time to see Ace fall into his younger brother's arms, with a gaping hole of flesh rotted by poison in his chest. Ignoring Kizaru's lasers even as they tore holes in his own flesh, the commander froze the midst of battle. Even in the chaos, he honed in on the scene and watched helplessly rooted to the spot as Ace collapsed in a lifeless heap.

"No…" Marco whispered softly.

The blond didn't even register having taken his phoenix form, but the next moment, he was standing beside Ace and staring down Magellan. He didn't stop to check Ace's condition, his world faded into white-hot anger as he launched himself at the enemy in front of him. Nothing else mattered at that moment. Only snapping back to his senses when Vista forcibly dragged him off of the bloody remains of what used to be a man.

They turned to Luffy and Ace. Jinbei and Jiru had arrived at their side. Marco didn't need to check for himself if Ace had survived the attack or not. The look of shocked terror on the younger brother's face, the look of guilt Jinbei wore, the sadness in Jiru's eyes made the outcome immensely obvious. Marco could see it plainly, but his mind was numbed, as though it was unable to process even the possibility of Ace's death.

Just then, a tremor big enough to shake the very foundation of Impel Down rocked through the mass of men. It was enough to put a momentary pause on the battle as everyone turned towards the source. The unbreakable gate fell in pieces into the ocean as the walls shattered and crumbled. It was clear in everyone's mind just who had finally arrived at the scene of battle.

* * *

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"When was the last time you referred to him by his name? When was the last time you willingly _talked_ about him? When was the last time you even _thought_ about him and not what happened that day?"

"I…"

"You haven't. At all."

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes. It does. If you can't hate me, then you have no right to hate yourself."

"That makes no sense."

* * *

Izou was not impressed by the crazed brat his captain had decided to half kidnap, half invite onto the ship. And given the extra work created by the constant fights between him and the captain, the mechanics and repair squad did not like the kid much either. Unfortunately, the remainder of the crew was usually too busy snickering and being amused by the brat to care too much. The fact that Marco and Thatch both fell into the latter category only served to further irritate Izou.

"Remind me again why anyone thought this was a good idea." The raven haired man growled angrily, more to himself than his two companions as they made their way to the mess hall

"Oh come on, the kid's a riot. When was the last time you saw someone try going after Pops with a kitchen knife?" Thatch laughed loudly at the memory. Of course, he had been there when Ace snuck into the kitchen, but decided to turn a blind eye and see what he would do.

"And remind me again why you thought it was a good idea to let that hell spawn steal a kitchen knife?" This time, he did direct the question to Thatch.

The brunette shrugged with a goofy grin, "Cause. I knew Marco'd be with Pops and you can't say that seeing the brat dangling off the main ropes like a piece of laundry wasn't worth it."

Marco sighed. "I did not do that for your amusement."

"No, but you left him up there for an hour and I'm pretty sure the crew's _still_ laughing about it now." That replied triumphantly.

It was Izou's turn to sigh heavily. There was no denying the crew had enjoyed that spectacle. So much so that he was pretty sure they wouldn't be seeing much of the kid for at least a few days as he tries to salvage what little remained of his dignity after that particular display.

"I can't believe how lightly you're treating this whole thing."

"It's fine, he's harmless." Thatch chuckled.

"I am _NOT_ harmless!" Ace screamed at them from behind the crate he wedged himself behind. It was obvious he had attempted to stay hidden to ambush whoever he had planned to ambush.

"No. You're an idiot." Izou stated flatly. Ace glared at the three commanders indignantly, but made no move to start a fight. Rather, his attention was fixated almost entirely on Marco.

"Well, if you're here anyways, you might as well join us for dinner." Thatch said.

"W-what, why would I do that?"

"Because the fact that most of the crew is at the mess hall doesn't mean you stand a ghost of a chance against Pops. Besides, no one's going to save you from drowning if we're all below deck eating." Marco replied coolly. To his amusement, the young pirate flushed violently.

Ace growled angrily at the three men. "And I do _NOT_ need your sympathy."

"You'd rather drown?"

"That's not-" To his credit, Ace gave up the argument at that point. He opened his mouth to speak again, but gave up that notion just as quickly, choosing to twist himself back into the shadows and withdrawing into himself.

"You do realize we can still see you right…?" Thatch asked after a moment of silence. When that failed to illicit a reaction, the commanders shrugged and decided to leave him to do as he pleased.

"Damn kid needs a lesson in manners too." Izou hissed as he walked past the crate Ace hid behind.

The three had been about to sit with their fellow commanders when a dull bang sounded followed immediately by the gentle rocking of the ship. Izou rolled his eyes as several others fought to keep a straight face. For the most part, no one seemed even remotely perturbed by the interruption save a few sighs of frustration.

Marco found Ace hiding at the stern of the ship later that night, his clothing still wet from the seawater. "Shouldn't you be hiding in your room instead?"

"Why do you follow him? From what I can tell, you're more than capable of captaining your own pirate ship. Wait, were you also…?"

"No. Just because I can do something doesn't mean I want to. Sure, I've thought about it before, but meeting him was what really helped me make up my mind about living this life." Marco shrugged. "We're all outlaws with nowhere to go. But here, this is all we need. This is home to us."

"That why you call him Pops too?"

"Yeah. It might sound odd to you now, but we're like a family. It's a nice dynamic and we look out for each other." Marco paused to study Ace. "You know we're not really going to force you to stay against your will right? You've already been here for three months, you've made over a hundred attempts at Pops' life, you should know by now that you're not going to beat Pops. It's about time you decided what you really want to do."

"A hundred and forty one." Ace whispered softly. He looked at Marco, emotions flitted across his features and swirled in the depth of his eyes, frustration, anger, fear, longing, and confusion.

Marco left Ace alone on the deck after that. Whatever his decision, it was something the young pirate will have to work out for himself. He knew there was more to Ace than what he's letting on, he had suspected as much from his Captain's odd decision to bring him on board. But seeing him then confirmed that suspicion. There was something darker lurking below the surface.

The sun did not rise the following day, dark stormy clouds obscured the skies casting shadows over the seas. Marco noted blandly that the lighting was a perfect match for the dark atmosphere of the room. He had been called to the captain's quarters almost as soon as he had woken only to find his captain and Ace staring awkwardly at each other in tense silence. That same silence has yet to be broken.

After what seemed to be an eternity of the three men standing in complete quiet, Ace finally spoke. Marco would have been shocked if he hadn't already began suspecting it. And from the looks of it, Whitebeard had known from the very beginning. It was almost comical how shocked Ace was by their calm demeanor.

"Aren't you shocked? Appalled? Disgusted? …Even remotely surprised?" Ace asked with growing uncertainly.

Marco waited a moment, but when Whitebeard remained silent, he decided to say something and put the poor boy out of his misery. "Who your father is has no baring on who you are does it?"

"He was your enemy! How could you trust me to be on the same ship as you?"

"Well, for one thing, you've been here three weeks trying to wreck havoc and haven't managed to accomplish anything." The blond snorted, then continued more seriously. "Remember what I told you yesterday? Here, the past doesn't matter. No one will think to fault for you something you had no control over."

"Why do you think a vice admiral of the marines went so far as to keep you a secret and raise you?" Whitebeard spoke in the ensuring silence.

Ace's attention snapped to Whitebeard in alarm.

"It's fine to just speak your mind you know. What do _you_ want?" Marco probed softly.

"…" Ace fidgeted nervously as he looked from the captain to the first division commander. "…Here. Let me stay here."

The whole crew, barring Izou, was thrilled at the news of Ace's decision to join them as a member of the Whitebeard Pirates. Their newest recruit was equally powerful as he was charismatic and within a year, was promoted to the rank of division commander. He and Marco also grew steadily closer, much to everyone's glee. As a general rule on the ship, anything or anyone that could put the first division commander in a good mood was welcome.

"So what. You two are finally rutting together?" Izou asked nonchalantly, as though inquiring about the weather.

Ace spat out his drink in shock, his entire face a deep shade of pink. "W-what! I… we… It's none of your business!"

Off to the side, Thatch snickered at the younger commander's shocked reaction. "You're not exactly subtle you know."

"Who said we were trying to be?" Marco smirked as he put down his tray of food. On the other side of the table, Ace looked ready to physically combust given how much heat was radiating off of him.

Izou's eyes gleamed wickedly, "So it's true then."

"The rumours or your suspicions?" Marco asked with a wicked smirk.

"Mostly suspicions, if you can even call it that. The rumours have been flying since the _day_ he joined the crew."

"Really. Can you two at least acknowledge the fact that I'm still here? And don't I get a say in this as well? Seeing as this involves me quite a bit." Ace whined with a pout.

"No." Izou dismissed Ace's complaints with a wave of his hand.

Both Marco and Thatch laughed at Izou's abrupt dismissal of Ace's objections. It hardly mattered at that point seeing as most, if not the entire crew, was already privy to the relationship between their first and second division commanders. Privacy in such closed quarters was hard to come by, not to mention the almost volatile attraction they had felt toward each other from the very start. Their courting had been fast and intense and it wasn't even a week after Ace took Whitebeard's mark on his back that the first rumours had began circulating among the men.

Marco smiled softly, enjoying the banter between his lover and friends. It wasn't that he had grasped the freedom he desperately longed for from the skies in his youth. It wasn't that he had discovered his calling and was able to grasp his dream of the seas in his hands. It wasn't even that despite the odds, he had managed to find love and acceptance in that wide open ocean. It was that for the first time, he had found happiness.

* * *

"We're either both guilty or not guilty at all. It's about time you stopped punishing yourself."

"I'm not."

"Marco."

"Fine, I get it."

"I loved Thatch. I still do and at least a part of me always will, but I have no intention of wallowing in pain for the rest of my life because of it. We expected forever, but what little time we did have together will have to do. Regardless of the nightmares, I refuse to have the happiness I did get to enjoy be tarnished by what happened that night."

"…"

"I'm not telling you to forget. I'm not even saying to move on with your life. God, I know I will never be able to. But don't let the pain overshadow those precious memories you do have of Ace."

"…Thank you."

"What for?"

"For understanding."

* * *

It was the simple fact that the four of them had managed to find true love.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I've been wanting to do something Thatch x Izou related for so long now… I totally imagine a young Marco as arrogant and bossy and Thatch is his same laid back and carefree self. And he lets Marco boss him around because it means he has less work to do himself…

So ya, Magellan took Akainu's place in this and Whitebeard doesn't die. And try to envision the impossible, Luffy managing to actually sneak through Impel Down instead of fighting his way through. So the only one he met/befriended was Jinbei. I kind of left it out since it didn't really fit in with the story, but I kind of imagined Blackbeard's ship being there with the marines' and entering the prison right as the fishmen keeping watch left to inform Marco. So they didn't know the Blackbeard pirates were at Impel Down as well. And Blackbeard would walk out after Whitebeard's ships were gone to see the remains of battle and remarking something like: It seems we had just missed our chance to take down Whitebeard. Followed by building themselves a raft from the remains of the marine's battleships and sailing away like nothing happened at all…

Another tidbit that didn't really fit into the story, the reason why none of the other marines, admirals, Shichibukai, and battleships showed up was cause Shanks led Whitebeard's allies to intercept them at Marineford. Kizaru was the only backup that made it there cause he could travel as a beam of light, there's really no stopping him… Why did Shanks take Whitebeard's side in the war? Because I want him to and plot wise, for the same reason as Jinbei, to try and stop the two forces from clashing head on and plunging the seas into total chaos.

I mean, I could've gone on forever about Marco and Ace, but opted for short and sweet. No need to drag out the inevitable right…? Also, I've alluded to it a few times, but I actually have nice idea for a back story for Marco. Which I'm planning for another short story. Which may or may not tie into _Painting Clouds and Painted Gods_, a lot of people have been asking for a sequel to that, and I did think of something, so we'll see.

This is a ridiculously long author's note… I'll shut up now.


End file.
